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A 
Pageant 
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(Dissions 


1860 — 1910 





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A Pageant of 


(Dissinns 


Presenting the Progress of 


Western Women in 
“astern Bands 


IPO) CASES SR ACI, Osha, 
FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
ORGANIZATION OF 
Wonwews Foreign Missionary 
—Suricties in America 


MStGLOg= sO EO 


THE WOMEN THAT PUBLISH THE 
TIDINGS TARE, AWGREALT HOST 


Metropolitan Opera House 


Nie vielY, OR KC UT: 
MARCH TWENTY-SEVENTH 


NINETEEN HUNDRED AND ELEVEN 





Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2022 with funding from 
Columbia University Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/pageantofmissionOOunse 


go 
Rabi 


Ir; IS REQUESTED. THAT THERE BE NO APPLAUSE 


{rele 


Choir of The Musical Art Society 


Frank Damrosch, Director 





ADORAMUS TE : i Palestrina 
TENEBRA FACTA SUNT . Palestrina 
LO, HOW A ROSE. E’ER 

BLOOMING . d ; Praetorius 
ALLA TRINITA BEATA Mediaeval H. ymn 
PATER NOSTER : ; ‘ Verdi 
LESOMMEIL DE L’EN- , Old French Christ- 


FANT JESUS -mas Songs, Ar- 
CHANSON JOYEUSE ranged by Gevaert 
STILLE NACHT = Arr. by Frank Damrosch 


Orchestra of 66 Players 
Under the direction of David Mannes 
PROCESSION OF KNIGHTS from 
OF THE GRAIL **Parsifal’’ 
CHARM OFGOOD FRIDAY ? Rich. Wagner 


Pageant 


BACH TRUMPET CALL 
PROCESSION OF PILGRIMS 


PROLOGUE 
Pilurims of the Night 
The Pageant opens with a processional of 
women of all nations who one hundred years 
ago had not heard the first note of the song of 
redemption and release for the souls of women. 
Women of China, with bound feet; little 
wives and widows of India; black-veiled Mos- 
lem women; Buddhists from Burmah and Siam ; 





Japanese women, Turkish, Korean, and Afri- 
ean; all march steadily on with no hope or 
light, no goal on earth or in Heaven. Silently, 
sadly, with no sound of music, they plod 
wearily on their way, a suggestion of the mil- 
lions who even yet, after twenty centuries, are 
untouched by the light and hope of Jesus. 
None of the Oriental faiths offer hope or com- 
fort for woman. She is a mindless, soulless 
creature, incapable of education, a victim of 
the worst forms of religions which heap their 


heaviest burdens on women. 


Now Come the Angelic Geralds of the Damn 
The choir sings the hymn which is the in- 
spiration of this first scene, 
“HARK! HARK, MY SOUL, ANGELIC 
SONGS ARE SWELLING ”’ 


The Pilgrims pause to lsten, and as the 
angels draw near they lift their heads and, with 
- new life, follow these Messengers of Peace. 


Orchestra 
AVE VERUM : . ; . Mozart 
LARGO : , ; . . Handel 


SCENE I 
Beginnings in the West 
A parlor with rugs and furnishings of one 
hundred years ago. ‘The hostess, Mrs. Ropes, 
of Brookline, whose story is told in the first 
chapter of ‘‘ Western Women in Eastern 


* sits at a table on which stands a little 


ands: 
Japanese basket. She is expecting friends to 
tea, and as ladies in old-fashioned garb appear, 


she welcomes them and later tells the story of 





the basket, which was brought home by a sea- 
captain whose ship had touched at Japan. 
The description of these remarkable people, 
with no knowledge of Christ, touched the 
hearts of the women. They proposed to take 
a collection, then and there, and when the 
country should be opened, later, in answer to 
their prayers, the money would be ready to 
begin missionary work for the Japanese. 

This was in 1829, twenty-five years before 
Perry’s fleet sailed into the harbor at Yeddo. 
They contributed six hundred dollars in later 
meetings, and when it was finally used by the 
American Board it amounted to four thou- 
sand one hundred and four dollars. After 
singing ‘*O God, our help in ages past,’’ the 


scene closes. 


Chorus and Audience Sing 


“THE SON OF GOD GOES FORTH TO 
WAR” 


SCENE II 
Beyinnings in the East 


This scene represents a market place in a 
village in India. Devout women worshippers 
pray in the midst of a busy crowd, where some 
are buying at the bazaar, others drawing water 
at the well. The beggar, who is a widow, is 
avoided by all as a cursed being, though the 
women gave alms in order to gain holiness. A 
child wife of high caste and gorgeously dressed, 
comes with her mother to worship, and later 
with 


her Bible women and a group of school girls 


we see achild widow. The missionary 


talk to the women, who steal up, frightened 


Or 


and shy, but deeply interested in the strange 
newcomers. She tells her story with many in- 
terruptions and ignorant questions, so well 
known to all missionaries. The Bible women, 
assisted by the school girls, sing a native hymn 
and pass on to other villages. In the bazars, 
the street sellers continue their daily routine, 
paying little attention to messenger or mes- 
sage. Now and then one pauses to listen to 
the music. The high caste women are shut in 


and must be visited in their homes. 


Chorus and Audience Sing 


**HARK, THE SOUND OF HOLY 
VOICES ”’ 


SCENE III 


A Dispensary in China 


Here are seen the usual throng coming 
for dispensary treatment. Besides the doctor, 
nurses and Bible women are the sick people 
and their friends. "Two Chinese ladies come to 
have their feet unbound. . A group of blind 
people follow a leader who can see a little. 
Notwithstanding careful directions, the pa- 
tients persist in doing absurd things; swallow- 
ing the entire contents of the medicine bottle 
in hope of speedy cure, passing it about to 
friends, removing their bandages as soon as 
they are out of sight. Superstition and igno- 
rance lead to frightful abuses. One physician 
to a million people with poorly equipped hos- 
pitals, does not prove adequate for reaching 
the masses in India and China. ‘The Bible 
women talk with them of the Great Physician: 
and Healer of Sin. 





Chorus and Audience Sing 


**O JESUS, THOU ART STANDING ” 


Orchestra 
LEONORE OVERTURE No. 3 Beethoven 


SCENE IV 
Japanese Hindergarten 


Like butterflies, these happy children of 
Japan, in their gay kimonos, flit through their 
greetings and motion songs. They form a _ 
bright spot against the dark background of 
ignorance and heathenism. ‘The kindergarten 
appeals with great force to the Japanese, who 
» are devoted child lovers. They demand the 
best in everything, and will not be content 
with anything not the best in religion. Have 
we Christians any doubt as to what is the best? 
The schools for girls lead up from kindergarten 
to college. The present opportunity to help 
in forming the best ideals is limitless. Yet, it 
is impossible to find college women to fill posi- 


tions in mission schools. 


Chorus Sing 


**I THINK WHEN I READ THAT 
SWEET STORY OF OLD ’”’ 


Chorus and Audience Sing 


** JESUS MEEK AND GENTLE”’ 


SCENE V 
Che New Woman of the Gurkish Empire 


With the fall of the Sultan and the estab- 
lishment of the new government, came larger 





opportunities for women, bringing develop- 
ment of body, soul and mind. We see in the 
darkness of the harem life, the vanity, empti- 
ness, and uselessness of the old order. 

Strongly contrasted with this, there is 
shown in the second scene, the fuller life made 
possible by Christian Education. ‘The signifi- 
cance of the Commencement exercises of the 
American College for Girls in Constantinople 
is emphasized by the display of the school 
motto, ‘* The Lord is my Light. ”’ 


Chorus and Audience Sing 


‘*O ZION, HASTE, THY MISSION HIGH 
FULFILLING ”’ 


SCENE VI 
@Out of Darkest Africa 


The scene is the contrast between the old 
Africa, still by far the greater part, with the 
new Africa, with its schools, churches and in- 
dustries, of which those given are quite typ- 
ical. In this village school, the girls are re- 
ceiving instruction in sewing and various kinds 
of industrial work. Savage chiefs who have 
brought their daughters to see the school peer 
through the palms. ‘They are persuaded by 
the missionaries to have their girls educated. 


(Those taking part in this scene are from the 
Howard Colored Orphan Asylum of Brooklyn) 


All Sing 
‘TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN 
THOUSAND?’ 
“RISE CROWNED WITH LIGHT ”’ 
Mr. Richard Henry Warren will direct chorus 
and orchestra during the singing of the hymns. 





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